63 



MINISTRY AT STAND. [Chap. III. 



I had much rather have heard your own organ.' 99 Mr. Tayler 

 preached a most beautiful sermon on "The importance of faith, 

 as the moving principle of all efforts for the improvement of 

 society." In the afternoon, Philip had gone to the Minster, 

 and was extremely struck, as he had been as a student, with the 

 wonderful way in which the ' Creation ' was rendered. " Mr. 

 Taylor [p. 20] read the service, so we had everything in per- 

 fection, and when the curtain was drawn up, the sun was 

 shining through the gorgeous west window ; and to see thou- 

 sands of people walking up and down the nave, all enjoying 

 the scene, while the organ was rolling, was truly delightful. 

 The Dean of Ely [Dr. Peacock] was standing by himself, 

 looking most earnestly at it. N.B. — He had been sitting next 

 to the Dean of York : — the Bible and the British Association 

 reconciled ! Not so reconciled, however, but that the Minster 

 bells, which had been ringing most merrily at'the beginning of the 

 time, in honour of the Association, shut their mouths after the 

 Dean had read his paper, and did not open them again except 

 on Sunday J "... . [O n Wednesday] I took an affectionate fare- 

 well of the Minster, which seems like a dear friend. Dr. 

 Robinson said . . . that the architect was moved by more than 

 poetry — it was inspiration. We commune with God through 

 His works, and I do not see why we should not read the works 

 of man as well as his books. . . . The Dean, when preaching 

 at the opening after the restoration, said he regretted the divi- 

 sions among Christians, and wished the Church could so enlarge 

 its terms of communion that all the Christians in York might 

 come together and worship in it : and such a time may yet 

 come. Christ worshipped and taught in the Temple, and why 

 should not we P The feelings raised by devotional music are 

 not the highest, but they are valuable helps. I should like 

 there to be music at certain times of the day ; and at another 

 time, for simple men to get up and preach in the nave. It is 

 so singular to compare York with Manchester. The Minster 

 is king of the former, and exercises a gentle, steady influence ; 

 while Manchester is like a boiling caldron, and no one knows 

 when anything will settle." 



